GOVERNOR PHIL BREDESEN ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR MEGAN BARRY FOR MAYOR

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 13, 2015) – Former Governor and former Mayor of Nashville Phil Bredesen announced his support of Councilmember At-large Megan Barry to be Nashville’s next mayor.

“The founders of Metro Nashville wisely understood that our city’s government should include everyone. As mayor, I learned that the only way to build a coalition is to push partisan politics aside, and Megan Barry will do that,” said Gov. Bredesen. “I’m endorsing Megan Barry today because I believe she will continue the momentum of our city, continue moving Nashville forward in a way that invests in our future while remaining fiscally responsible.”

During his tenure as Mayor from 1991 to 1999, Bredesen helped to set the standards for future mayors to come. He helped to revitalize the downtown area, bringing two major league sports teams to our city while building a new downtown library and investing in our schools. Bredesen later went on to serve as Governor of the State of Tennessee from 2003 to 2009, where he built broad bi-partisan support across the state due to his focus on fiscal responsibility and improving the quality of life for Tennesseans.

“Governor Bredesen, during his two terms as Mayor of Nashville, set our city on the path to growth and prosperity that we are experiencing today,” said Barry. “He understood that in order to grow our economy, in order to improve our quality of life, we must invest wisely and responsibly in our future. As mayor, I will look to Gov. Bredesen to be a trusted advisor to help in managing our budget in a fiscally responsible way while continuing to invest in our schools, in our neighborhoods, and in our economy.”

Councilmember At-Large Megan Barry is seeking election to the office of mayor in the September 10th run-off election. A Nashville resident for 24 years, Megan Barry was twice elected as at-large member of the Metro Council. In August, Barry came in first in a seven candidate field running for mayor. An MBA graduate of Vanderbilt, she has two decades of senior-level corporate experience in telecommunications and healthcare. She is the mother of a college-age son and has been married to Bruce Barry for 21 years.